Wireless communications systems have been deployed by several companies, such as HierComm, Inc., in the 5 GHz band and are currently operating profitably and growing. A companion 4.9 GHz band wireless public safety network with both mobile and fixed capabilities has also been recently deployed and is in operation. One type of low noise signal preamplifier has been used to great effectiveness and is the basis for an issued US patent, High Gain Antenna and Magnetic Preamplifier, U.S. Pat. No. 7,528,795 B2, May 5, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Despite the early success of the above broadband commercial and public safety networks, it has become clear that further growth in performance and cost effectiveness depended on the development of better low noise preamplifiers that would further increase radio range by improving the sensitivity of radio receivers. In mobile battery power source dependent applications, the need for low power usage amplifiers was particularly important to extend battery life. Work on a magnetic low noise amplifier led to the patent referenced above. The work described above to provide a low power usage amplifier also led to the dielectric amplifier technology of the present disclosure.
Although the low power usage amplifier was initially proposed for communications applications as described above, a second major market exists in the electric power (energy) saving market. The same passive dielectric amplifier may be designed for operation in the 60 Hz frequency band and used to save energy through attachment to electric power consuming appliances, such as refrigerators, electric heaters and lighting fixtures. In an embodiment of an amplifier with demonstrated power gains of 4 to 1, a 500 watt appliance with an attached passive dielectric amplifier would consume only 125 watts.